Cap for liquid receptacles



May 27, 1958 c. L. PRICE CAP FOR LIQUID RECEPTACLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Oct. 21, 1955 A TTOR/VE Y May 27, 1958 c. 1.. PRICE CAP FOR LIQUIDRECEPTACLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 21, 1955 J G H a 2 m m H V 4 A az 3 m m G. l. Q 2 m F m M F Q Q United Stiates Patent CAP FOR LIQUIDRECEPTACLES Clilford Leonard Price, Bitterne, Southampton, England,assiguor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich a corporation ofDelaware Application October 21, 1955, Serial No. 542,039

Claims. (Cl. 183-73) This invention relates to caps for attachment tothe access necks of liquid receptacles, for example, engine crankcases.Such caps contain filter material and are generally known as crankcasebreathers.

Such breathers comprise two generally cup-shaped spaced metal members,one inside the other, between which is disposed woven wire or other airfiltering material. Perforations permit air to pass into the spacebetween the cup members, through the woven wire or other air filteringmaterial and out. The inner cup member is adapted to fit over a tubularaccess neck and spring arms on the breather depend into the neck andresiliently engage the inner surface thereof. 7

The object of the invention is to secure the spring arms to the breatherin a simple and inexpensive manner.

Accordingly, a pair of spring arms is formed integrally as a generallyU-shaped member, the middle portion As a further alternative, the top ofthe inner cup member may have a hemispherical deformation to engage themiddle portion of the spring to the outer cup member.

The breather may also have indentations in the upper part of the outercup-shaped member to assist in locating and maintaining in a compressedstate the said woven wire and to provide finger grips to facilitatehandling of the breather when it is fitted to or removed from an en- Thescope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims; and how itcan be carried into effect is hereinafter particularly described, withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a first embodiment of a crankcasebreather according to: the invention, shown fitted on a tubular accessnecks.

Fig. 2 is an inverted plan of the breather in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of a second embodiment;

Fig. 4 is a detail plan of the inner cup member of the breather in Fig.3;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section of a third embodiment;

Fig. 6 is a detail plan of the inner cup member of the breather in Fig.5;

Fig. 7 is a vertical section of a fourth embodiment;

Fig. 8 is a detail section on the line VIII-VIII of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a detail plan of the inner cup member of the breather in Fig.7;

Fig. 10 is a vertical section of a modification of the breather shown inFig. 5; and

'q 2,53 ,258 Patented May 2?, 1958 Fig. 11 is an elevation of Fig. 10.

In the first embodiment, shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the crankcase breatheris made from inner and outer cu members 1 and 2 respectively which aremetal pressings. The outer cup member 2 contains an annular woven wirefilter element 3, and the inner cup member 1 is arranged within theouter cup member 2 in contact with the woven wire 3 and spaced from thetop 4 of the outer cup member. The inner cup member 1 has a flange 5with perforations 6 therein, and a top 7 with an opening 8 therein,through which air can pass to and from the filter element 3, and throughthe opening 8 depend the arms 9 of a U-shaped plate spring member 10which has a fiat middle portion 11 adapted to contact the outer cupmember 2 and connected to the arms 9 by re-entrant portions 22 ofsemi-circular formation which are disposed between the tops 7 and 4 ofthe inner and outer cup members 1 and 2.

Upon assembly, the outer periphery of the perforated flange 5 of theinner cup member 1 is gripped between the portions of a turned over edgeflange 13 on the outer cup member 2. The diameters of the semi-circularportions of the spring member Ill are slightly greater than the spacebetween the tops 7 and 4 of the cup members 1 and 2 so that the spring16 is resiliently gripped between the inner and outer cup members 1, 2.

In the second embodment (Figs. 3 and 4), the inner and outer cup members1, 2 are similar to those in the first embodiment except that the top 7of the inner cup member 1 has two slots 14 for the arms of the springmember 18 and two slots 15 for the passage of air. The middle portion ofthe spring member 10 is con nected directly to the spring arms 9 and isformed with an undulation 16 so as to engage the tops 7 and 4 of boththe inner and outer cup members 1, 2. The height of the undulation 16 isslightly greater than the space between the tops 7 and 4, so that thespring member 10 is resiliently gripped between theinner and outer cupmembers 1, 2 upon assembly.

In the third embodiment (Figs. 5 and 6), the flat middle portion 11 ofthe spring member 10 is connected directly to the spring arms 9. The topof the inner cup member has an upward hemispherical deformation 17,which, upon assembly of the inner and outer cup members 1, 2,resiliently engages the flat middle portion 11 of the spring member 19against the top 4 of the outer cup member 2. In this form the slots 15are replaced by opposed pairs of holes 18.

In the fourth embodiment (Figs. 7 to 9), which is similar to the thirdembodiment, the spring member 19 is in the form of a round wire 19 andthe spherical deformation 17 of the top of the inner cup member 1 has agroove 20 to locate the wire 19 against the top 4 of the outer cupmember 2. The arms of the wire extend through diametrically opposednarrow slots 21 in the top of the inner cup member 1 and there are alsothree diametrically opposed pairs of holes 22 for the passage of air.

In a fifth embodiment of the invention (Figs. 10 and 11), the outer cupmember 2 is formedwith indentations 23, of which there are convenientlythree, equispaced about the axis of the outer member 2 and extendingfrom the periphery of the substantially fiat top part 4 to approximatelyhalf way down its wall. The indentations 23 protrude inwardly so asnearly to meet the wall of the inner cup member 1 and thereby retain theannular mass of woven wire 3 in position between the lower parts of thewalls of the two cup-shaped members 1, 2.

The indentations 23 in the outer cup member 2 can be provided in any ofthe four embodiments of the crankcase breather previously described.

I claim:

l. A breather for a liquid receptacle such as a crankaround the flangedrim of said cupinember, and a 'U-shaped spring member the arms of whichextend through the perforated top-of the inner cup member and the middleportion of which is; disposed between. the t tops of the inner and outercup members, the material of one of the membersin this region being'sodeformed that when the cup members are secured together at their 'rimsthe spring member is resiliently gripped between the inner and outer cupmembers.

. 2. A breather for a liquid receptacle such as a crankcase, comprisingtwo inverted cup members arranged 5'; A breather according to claim 3,in which the arms of said spring member extend through slot means in thetop of the inner cup member and the middle portion of the spring isformed with an undulation so as to engage the tops of the inner andouter cup members, the height of the undulation being slightly greaterthan the space between the tops so that the spring member is resilientlygripped therebetween when the cup members are secured together.

one within and spaced from the other and between the;

'walls of which israrranged' an 'annular mas's of filter materialthrough which air can pass to and from perforations in the top and theflanged rim of the inner cup member, said cup members being formed toprovide flanged rims-extending across the space between said members andby which said members are secured to.- gether, the inner of said cupmembers being perforated at the top and around the-flanged rim of saidcup memher, and at U-Shaped spring member the arms ofiwhich 6. Abreather according to claim 3, in which the middle portion of the springmember is flat and the top of,

the inner cup member has an upward hemispherical deformation which, uponassembly. of the inner and outer cup members,resiliently'presses themiddle portion of the spring against the top of the outer cup memher,the arms of said spring extending through ,slots in the top of the innermember.

7. A breather according to claim 2, in which said spring member is madeof round wire and the armsthereof extend through slotsin the top of theinner cup member between which the top is formed with an upwardhemispherical deformation having therein a groove to extend through at.least one perforation in the top "of the.

inner cup member and resiliently engage the inner wall ef the inner cupmember, the middle portion of the spring member being disposed betweenthe tops of the inner and outer cup members and the material of one whenthe cup members are secured togetherat their rimsthe spring member isresiliently gripped between the inner and outer cup members. 1 V

3. A breather for a liquid receptacle such as a crankcase, comprisingtwo inverted cup members arranged one within and spaced from the otherand between the walls of which is arranged an annular mass of filter"material through which air can passlto and from perforations in the topand the flanged 'rim of the inner cup member,

and a U-shaped plate spring member the arms of which extend through atleast-one perforation in the top of the inner cup member and resilientlyengage the inner wallof the inner cup'membenthe middle portion of thespring member being disposed between the' tops bf 'the ofthe members .inthis region-being so deformed that receive a straight middle portion ofsaid spring member 'said middle portion being resiliently pressedagainst the top of the outer cup member when the cup members areassembled.

8. A breather accordingto claim 1, in whichthe outer cup member isformed with indentations in the upper .part thereof to assist inlocating and securing vbetween the -.walls of theinner and outercupmembers said filter material and to provide finger grips thereon.-

' 9. ,A breather according to claim 3, in which the outer cup member isformed in the upper part thereof with indentations which-extend from theperiphery of the top of theouter cup member to approximatelyjhalt waydown the wall thereof and protrude inwardly to near the wall of theinner cup member. 7 7 r 10: Abreather for a liquidreceptacle such as acrank-.

case, comprising two inverted cup members arranged one inner/andoutercup members and the material of one a t of the members in thisregion being so deformed that. when the cup members are securedtogether" at their rims the spring member is resiliently grippedjbetween the inner and outer cup members. I V a V p 4. 'A breatheraccording tovclaim-3, in which said spring member has a fiat middleportion'adapted to cohttact the outer cup member and connected to saidarms by; semi-circular. re -entrant portions which are disposed betweenthe tops of the inner and outer cup members and are of 'slightly'greaterdiameter than the space be tween the tops so that the spring member isresiliently gripped therebetween. T

within and spaced from the other and between the walls of which isarranged an annular mass of filter material through whichair can pass toand frompperforations in the top and the flanged rim of the inner cupmember,

and a U-shaped plate spring thearms of which extend through slots in thetop of the innercup memberhand resiliently engage the, wall thereof, themiddle portion of the spring being straight andthe top. of theinnercupmemberhaving an; upward. hemispherical deformation. which, when the cupmembers are secured together at 'their'rims resiliently pressesthemiddle portion. of the springagainst'the top of-the outer cup membersaid f ,outer cup member having a plurality ofindentations eachextending from the periphery of the top of .the outer cup member toapproximately half way down the wall thereof and protruding inwardly tonear the wall of the inner.

. cup. member. a

References Cited in the file of this 'patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,675,886 McMullen' n;I.Apr. "20;"195.41 2,589,551 Heller et a1; sent21, 1954

